Vancouver Canucks roundtable: Has Jim Benning done enough?

Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning made plenty of impact moves this offseason. We discuss and analyze the job he’s done thus far.

Following a fourth straight non-playoff season, Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning wasted little time rebuilding his roster in hopes of icing a competitive team in 2019-20.

Benning’s first big move was acquiring top six forward J.T. Miller in a draft weekend trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the first day of free agency, Benning rebuilt his blue line by signing Tyler Myers, Jordie Benn and Oscar Fantenberg.

As if that wasn’t enough, Benning then went out and added another top six forward in Micheal Ferland, inking the 27-year-old to a four-year deal worth $14 million. With that, Benning had completed the bulk of his offseason work.

It’s hard to complain about Benning’s haul: Two top six forwards and three new blueliners. No matter how you feel about the moves, it’s impossible to deny that the Canucks are much better now than they were in 2018-19.

I asked our staff at The Canuck Way to share their thoughts on Benning’s moves and overall workload this offseason — and if he’s done enough to get this team ready for a playoff push in 2020.

Alex Hoegler

After the regular season, I told myself time and time again that the Canucks needed to add at least one capable top six and proven 20-goal forward, and at least two new defencemen. Sure enough, Benning brings in a pair of reliable top six forwards in Miller and Ferland while adding three new defencemen.

The blue line has been this team’s weak link over the past five years, and Benning finally decided it was time to make some serious changes. Myers’ contract could be a problem down the road, but he’s far better than most top-four defencemen Vancouver has used over the past few seasons.

Benn and Fantenberg provide much-needed depth on the back end, and it’s hard not to be excited about a full season of Quinn Hughes. Really, it’s hard for me to complain much, if at all, about Benning’s offseason.

I’m expecting this team to finish with at least 90 to 95 points in 2020. If the Western Conference wasn’t stacked with championship-caliber team, I’d be extremely confident about the Canucks making the playoffs. Even if they don’t, you can expect this to be the best team Vancouver has had since 2015, the last time they made the postseason.

David Quadrelli

Of course, he has. I am known to be a bit of a Benning apologist, after all. But in all seriousness, I have really liked what Jim and his group have done this offseason. While I’m happy about the new additions of Ferland, Benn, and Myers, I’m even more impressed with all the dead weight that has been unloaded this offseason.

Flipping Erik Gudbranson for Tanner Pearson started it all in my opinion. Letting go of Markus Granlund and Derrick Pouliot, and buying out Ryan Spooner, are the moves that followed. Benning had the goal of improving this team, and that’s exactly what he did by cleaning house this offseason. Other than giving up a first-round pick in the Miller trade, I’m a big fan of the Canucks’ offseason moves thus far.

Sean Warren

The Canucks’ offseason is full of optimistic moves that embolden fans to believe in a playoff push. They sent strong messages to opponents that they will not be pushed around while also rounding out their top six forwards and reworking the defence core. All in all, I like the moves and philosophy behind them but I worry about the structure of the contracts in the long term.

Most times, no-trade clauses and no-movement clauses are added to contract negotiations in order to reduce either term or salary. In this case, it appears that nothing was reduced which makes me feel uneasy when it comes to the long-term implications of these contracts as well as any future negotiations.

Owen Gibbs

For the first time in a long time, I feel optimistic about the Canucks exiting free agency. The team now has a solidified top-six with the acquisitions of and Ferland, both of whom can provide much-needed grit and secondary scoring. While the decision to give up a future first round pick for Miller may be risky, both players were acquired at surprisingly reasonable costs.

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The five-year, $30M contract given to Myers is cause for concern, but could have been much worse, and the six-foot-eight defenceman — along with Benn and Hughes –will boost the struggling defence corps by a mile and a half.

At the draft, the Canucks added a pair of blue chip prospects in Vasili Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander to an already great prospect pool. Overall, this team is much better than it was last season (including in terms of uniforms), perhaps enough to secure a playoff spot next spring.

I am more concerned with what the Canucks did not do than with what they did. The slew of signings and the Roberto Luongo recapture penalty have put the Canucks up against the salary cap, without enough space to sign Brock Boeser to an appropriate contract.

General manager Jim Benning must clear several of the anchor contracts that have accumulated over the years soon to prevent both a prolonged contract dispute not unlike the one between the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander last season and a logjam of forwards.

Unfortunately, many of these players, such as Brandon Sutter and Loui Eriksson, lack trade value, making them difficult to move. Appealing the cap recapture penalty would be a great start, but time will tell if Benning can create space for Boeser before the 2019-20 season begins.

Joshua Rey

With the moves the Canucks have made this offseason, I feel they are a better team than they were last year and have a much better chance at making the playoffs.Trading for Miller and signing Ferland improved the top six. The defence also looks much better than last season. The things I didn’t like were the Myers contract, as I feel it is too much for a 29-year-old defenceman.

I liked the Miller acquisition, but I don’t like giving up that conditional first, because there is a possibility that the Canucks will make the playoffs next year and in 2021.The next two draft classes are very deep in talent, too. But overall, I think it was a good offseason for the Canucks, and next year’s team will be more interesting and fun to watch.

Trevor Taylor

Way better then previous years. I’m not happy that Boeser doesn’t have a new deal, though. I’m not happy with overpaying for Myers and the Miller trade.

But overall, I’m happy that Benning tried filling major holes on the roster. The Benn signing was the right amount of money and term. I was completely against the Ferland signing, when the rumour about him wanting Tom Wilson money came out. But I think Benning got him at tremendous value., although term could end up hurting Canucks on last year or two. But overall, signing Ferland was their best move thus far.

Matthew Zator

For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I like all of the moves Jim Benning has done this offseason. From the trade for Miller to the free-agent signings of Myers, Benn, and Ferland, I think the Canucks have definitely improved their scoring depth, toughness, and size both up front and on the backend.

Additionally, he didn’t sign any contracts that would handcuff the team for the foreseeable future, which is key in my opinion. Overall a great offseason so far, nothing I really didn’t like. All that has to happen now is the signing of Boeser to a long-term deal.